Closure for paste tubes and the like



Nov. 2 1926.

C. A. SPOTZ cnosuma roa PASTE TUBES AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 11. 1925 Patented Nov. 2, 1 926.

UNITED .STATES CHESTER A. SPOTZ, F GEEENWICH, CONNECTICUT.

CLOSURE FOE PASTE TUBES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed September One object of the invention is to provide a hinge mounting for the cap closure of a collapsible tube or container, for toothpaste and the like, which will hold the said closure in open as well as closed position, so that the tube may be tipped to the proper angle for delivery of its contents onto the toothbrush without having the cap interfere with said action.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In" the accompanying drawings:

Fi re 1 is a perspective view of a collapsi le tube with the cap or closure swung to open position.

Fig. 2 is plan view with the cap or 010- sure in open position.

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the tube and its nozzle.

Fig. 5. is a detail of hinge or connector member which is supported on the tube.

In these drawings 1 is the collapsible tube such as are commonly employed for holding toothpaste, shaving cream, paints and the like. -1 indicates the semi-rigid breast from which rises the nozzle 2. This is circumferentially grooved at 2" and it has inclined sides 2 and a groove 2 at its base. The

aperture in this nozzle is elongated to discharge the material in ribbon form, but this opening may be of other forms.

The groove 2 at the base of the nozzle'receives the connector or hinge member 3 to which the carrier member 4 for the cap or closure is pivotally connected. This connector member 3 is shown as composed of spring wire, with a partly circular or loop portion 3 to fit the groove 2 and wlth. spring arms 3", which normally, as shown in .Fig. 5, diverge from each other, but when connected with the carrier member 4 they are pressed towards each other so that they are constantly under tendency to spring apart. In the particular form shown, as an instance of my invention, the ends of these spring arms of the connector are bent outwardly and engage eyes 4 of the cap carrier member 4, which carrier member is in the instance shown composed of wire. Across piece 4' connects the eyes to strengthen the carrier at this point. The cap or closure 5 is held in the carrier member, being embraced between the sides of the said carrier, whichsides are bent to provide tongues 4, which enter a slot in the side of the cap. The ends of the carrier member are provided 11, 1925. Serial No. 55,718.

with finger pieces 4 These cross each other so that by pressing the finger pieces together the sides of the carrier arespread apart to clear the tongues 4 from the interior of the cap but not to disenga e therefrom, this spreading action enab ing the tongues of the carrier to be disengaged from the groove 2 of the nozzle when the cap is to be thrown back for the discharge of the contents of the tube.

In closing the tube it is only necessary to swing the carrier with the cap over the nipple or nozzle and press it down thereon. In this action the tongues of the spring arms of the carrier will ride down the inclined sides of the nozzle, spreading apart until they reach the groove 2 into which they will spring to hold the cap in place, closing the tube. To open the container the finger Gal pieces of the. carrier are pressed towards each other, thus separating the tongues 4 until they disconnect from the groove of the nipple and then the carrier can be swung back to clear the nozzle for the discharge of the contents. The carrier will remain in any position to which itmay be moved because the spring arms of the connector will exert frictional restrain upon the carrier at the points where the bent ends of the connectorpress outwardly through the eyes, it being noted that these bent ends extend in an outward direction from each other and enter the eyes from the inner sidesthereof.

In order to hold the connector and cap carrier and cap in a prescribed relation to the nozzle so that these parts will not turn about said nozzle, I provide a projection 6 on the breast of the tube, against which the arms of the connector lie. The cap when thrown back is out of the way and the delivery of the ribbon-like stream of material is not interfered with. It will be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of construction. For instance, instead of providing bent ends or hooks on the connector member I may provide this member with eyes to receive the cross bar of the'cap carrier member, but with the same frictional restraint due to the tendency of the arms of the carrier to spring apart. Thus the carrier with the cap will be held in any position to which it may be moved. v

Also as an instance of the fact that details 'may be modified, I may employ a cap carrier of sheet metal instead of wire,such form of carrier may be of the forms heretofore proposed by me, in so far as they lend themselves to their combination with the connecting member abovedescribed, and ascrew cap container of this character.

I claim:

1. In combination, a container having a nozzle, a closure for the nozzle, a carrier for the closure having spaced aligned hinge eyes, and a substantially U-shaped connector having spring arms engaging a portion of the nozzle, and having oppositely directed aligned hinge pintles on the extremities of the arms for engaging said hinge eyes said connector being detachable from the carrier by springing the arms to remove the hinge pintles from the eyes.

2. In combination, a container having a nozzle, a closure for the nozzle, a carrier for the closure having spaced aligned hinge eyes, and a substantially U-shaped connector having its arms engaging a portion of the nozzle, and having outwardly turned ends forming hinge pintles for engaging said eyes, the distance between said hinge pintles when the arms are unrestrained being greater than the distance between the eyes, whereby the spring arms are placed under tension when the pintles are engaged with the eyes.

3. In combination with a container having a nozzle, a closure for the nozzle, a carrier for the closure and a connector supporting the carrier upon said nozzle, said connector having a portion engaging the nozzle, and a pair of spring arms engaging the carrier by which engagement the spring arms are stressed to exert tension upon the carrier to retain'it in any position to which it is moved, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a container having a nozzle, said nozzle having a groove, a wire member partly encircling the nozzle and held in said groove and having spring arms, a closure for the nozzle and a carrier for the closure ivotally mounted on said spring arms, said spring arms being deflected from their natural unrestrained position by their engagement with said carrier, whereby they exert restraint upon the carrier and thereby maintain it in any position to which it is moved, substantially as described.

5. In combination, a container having a nozzle with a groove in the'si'de thereof, a wire member partly encircling the nozzle located in the groove and having a-pair of spring arms, a closure for the nozzle, a carrier for the closure pivotally mounted on said spring arms, and a projection on the breast of the container for holding the spring arms in position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

CHESTER A. SPOTZ. 

